


I'll always (Come back to you)

by itzteegan



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gift Exchange, Gift Giving, Holidays, Penis In Vagina Sex, Porn, Porn with Feelings, Satinalia (Dragon Age), Sex, Shameless Smut, Smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, only a little angst I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:34:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27951650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzteegan/pseuds/itzteegan
Summary: Guinnevere Trevelyan worries over what to get Cullen for the holidays until she stumbles over theperfectgift. Cullen, meanwhile, thinks of the immediate future.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan, Cullen Rutherford/Trevelyan, Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford, Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28
Collections: An Abyssal Holiday Special, Satinalia 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (Also, yes, I keep my promise to stop cockblocking/beaver damming Cullen and Guinn and they finally get to do the deed)
> 
> BTW, the title is taken from the song "Voyage to Atlantis", the song my then-fiance played the night before he had to fly back home.
> 
> Also also, and most importantly, fuck Greg Ellis.

Huddling into my cloak, I followed Dorian resolutely, determined to get this shopping over and done with in one go. Neither of us were particularly fond of the cold, being from the more northern climes, but the sooner we finished the sooner we could curl up in front of a fire with a nice cup of warm, mulled wine. That was my true motivation as I followed him from shop to stall, browsing the various options for presents. Some people were pretty easy to buy for – a brand new, expensive quill for Josie, a box of sweets for Sera, a discreetly smutty book for Cassandra that I was sure she didn’t have – but others proved more challenging. It took some time and deliberation, but I ended up picking up a fresh, light book series for Blackwall, a nice pair of boots for Varric, and – upon the surprise recommendation of Dorian – a fluffy velveteen pillow for The Bull. After rounding up some more presents, I was almost done, save for one notable person. 

Cullen. 

It was our first holiday we were spending together and I really wanted to hit it out of the park. “You’re over-thinking it, Guinn,” Dorian tried to assure me. 

“But I want it to be _perfect_.” 

Shooting me a smirk, he asked, “Have you considered some lacy underwear?” 

My cheeks burned, not only at the thought of wearing such things but of shopping for them with Dorian of all people, whom I could anticipate would have a running commentary of opinion. “I want to buy something for _him_ not for _me_.” 

“It is for him, don’t you know how lingerie works? You buy it, you wear it to show it off, it ends up on the floor whilst you get busy with your lover. Lather, rinse, repeat.” 

The heat in my cheeks only grew as I cleared my throat. “That isn’t …” trailing off, I shook my head. “No, I want it to really be something special.” 

He rolled his eyes as if I was being a little ridiculous, and maybe I was but I didn’t care. “Well you know the Commander probably better than anyone at this juncture, what does he want? Not _need_ – I’m sure there are many, many things the man needs that he neglects in favour of working longer hours – but point being … what would he truly appreciate?” 

Looking up at the sky, at the gently falling snowflakes, I genuinely considered his question. Cullen was a simple man with simple tastes, something that I would have thought would make shopping for him easier. However it was proving far more difficult than I’d ever anticipated. “What did you get him?” I asked my friend. 

Chuckling, he drew what looked like a giant Tower chess piece out of his bag. It was a lovely, shiny varnished wood, but even as he presented it with a flourish, my brow furrowed. 

“You got him a … a statue? Of a chess piece?” 

He threw his head back and laughed. “Oh no, nothing ever so simple as that. Here …” He set his bags on the ground and the Tower piece on a bench so he could properly show me. “This middle piece here unfurls,” he demonstrated, pulling it around and off so I could see the small shelving installed around it, “and it becomes the board while ordinarily it serves to protect all the different pieces.” Indeed, the shelves inside that were set all around the statue were filled with chess pieces, an ingenious way to store a set. 

“Brilliant!” I breathed. “I know of a spot on his bookshelf he can keep it.” 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Dorian replied with a twinkle in his eye. 

Groaning, I realised, “I’m never going to be able to top that.” 

Laughing as he put away Cullen’s present, he assured me, “You’ll do just fine, Guinn, he’ll love anything you get him because it comes from _you_.” 

I sighed as we walked through the marketplace, hefting our bags and considering any last minute purchases. While Dorian’s words registered, I didn’t want to just get him any old gift that he’d have to smile politely for. I wanted to wow him, to get him something that had meaning for him. I was slightly jealous that Dorian had spotted that special chess set, it was truly perfect for him and I knew he’d appreciate it. I was even looking forward to playing games with it – and I was certain Cullen would rope me into one as soon as possible – but I tried to refocus into thinking about what I should get him. Unfortunately, I still kept coming up blank. 

It was as I was considering just coming back another day – not a prospect I was excited about, but my fingers were numb and I desperately wanted to thaw out – when I just so happened to stumble by an alley and see the perfect present. It seemed a stroke of luck, and while I knew it would take some work to wrangle up to Skyhold and keep it hidden until the perfect time, this would be well worth it and Dorian enthusiastically became my partner in crime. 

\+ 

The door creaked as we opened it carefully, both of us chuckling as we made our way out of the library and towards Cullen’s office. The cheer of the holiday was infectious, to the point where even the stoic Commander wore a smile. The wine helped, I was sure, but I liked to think that my company was really the main reason, and the way he looked at me only encouraged that thought, his eyes soft as his arm draped around me. “Really, I’m fine out here,” I tried to insist, but he saw through me easily enough.

“Yes, you and your thin Marcher blood are just fine as you fail miserably at _not_ shivering,” he pointed out dryly.

I pouted, but then again I truly didn’t mind his arm around me. Spotting Scout Harding on the catwalk opposite to us, we locked eyes for the barest moment and she gave me a loose, two-fingered salute, a non-verbal promise that _it was done._ “It’s just as well that we get inside quickly, I have something waiting for you in your office.”

“In _my_ office?” I only giggled in return as he eyed me. “Just what have you been up to?”

“You’ll see,” I promised as we drew abreast to the door.

He barely got two steps inside before a bundle of fur came bounding toward him, all limbs and tail, tongue hanging as it panted and joyfully yipped. Cullen immediately bent down to pick up the young pup, his dark fur contrasting with the bright red ribbon tied loosely around his neck. From the shape of his face, it seemed he might be part Mabari, but only in part as his large, floppy ears and lanky build seemed contrary to the famous breed. More than likely he was just a mutt, a mixture of whatever breeds might have mingled and led to his birth, but Cullen didn’t seem to mind at all. If anything, he was entranced, simply staring for a long moment as the wiggly pup laved kisses against his face and neck.

“You …” he began, then paused and began again, “where …”

“I found him in one of the alleys in the marketplace when Dorian and I went. Poor little one was eating whatever garbage he could find, but he was quite friendly. I thought … well, I thought you might like to have a dog. They’re popular in Ferelden from what I’ve heard, and I know he’s not a Mabari, but …”

“He’s perfect,” Cullen breathed, a smile once again tugging at the very corners of his lips. He lifted his gaze to me as I closed the door behind us, shutting out the chill. “I … thank you. This means more to me than you know.”

I smiled brightly. “I was hoping you would.”

The chuckles came easily, naturally as he scratched behind the dog’s ears, already murmuring a “Well who’s an eagre boy, hmm?” It was an adorable sight, one of joy and relaxation, something we didn’t get too much of these days. But we fought hard for it, and when we won, we reveled in it. Glancing up at me, Cullen proposed, “If you don’t mind holding him a moment, I have something for you as well.”

I dutifully reached out and took the little dog, and he seemed happy still, his wriggling bottom not stopping as he gave me just as many kisses as his new master. He was an adorable little thing, and I wondered what Cullen might name him. A few possibilities flitted through my head, but they all fled as I saw how sombre Cullen had become as he retrieved an object wrapped in cloth.

Approaching me slowly, his words as careful and measured as his steps, he said, “Corypheus will retaliate, it’s only a matter of time. And when that time comes, you will be thrown into his path again.” His brow furrowed as his grip around the package tightened, the leather in his gloves creaking with the added stress. Taking in a deep breath, he murmured, “Andraste preserve me, I must send you to him. The thought of losing you … I can’t …”

At that moment, I could _feel_ the heartbreak rolling off of him as if he were an ocean and his emotions were its waves. He was normally so reserved, it was strange and shocking to see him like this, and I immediately wanted to comfort him even though the thought of actually facing Corypheus again was … well, definitely not something I _wanted_ to do, though I also knew that day would come as well. My mind racing for how exactly to assuage his discomfort - and how to sidestep my own - I assured instead, “There’s nothing to worry about. I have luck on my side, remember?”

Indeed, I’d kept the coin he’d given me on my person since he’d handed it over. A small trinket, but one that brought me great comfort, especially when I was miles from Skyhold. No matter where I was - the Hissing Wastes, the Western Approach, the Storm Coast - I’d lie in my tent and hold the coin in my hand, thumb gently caressing the worn metal. I hoped, in some small part at least, that the pup could provide a similar distraction when I’d inevitably leave on another mission.

Or if, Maker forbid …

He chuckled then, a breathy action that broke the tension that had woven tightly around him even as he acknowledged, “That’s less comforting than I’d hoped.” Swallowing hard, his voice stronger, clearer, he told me, “Whatever happens, you _will_ come back, and to that end, I’ve done what I can to ensure that.”

Setting the little pup on the floor to free up my hands, I reached out and took the package, curious as it felt much heavier than I’d thought it would be. It only took a few tugs to loosen the fabric wrapped round it and I gasped as it fell away to reveal the contents.

A full set of gleaming armour, and even just at a glance I knew it was far stronger and better than anything I currently had, from the deep orange of the dragon webbing to the soft white of the dragon scales. The breastplate was a vivid, striking golden colour, but even as my fingers traced the Inquisition symbol emblazoned on the front, I knew it was unique and special, though I couldn’t put my finger on it. “Cullen, what is …”

“Dragon bone,” he answered before I could even finish the question. “I inquired and Harritt and Dagna were able to work with what you brought back.” His voice soft once more, he added, “Nothing but the best for our Inquisitor.”

My throat tightened as tears pricked my eyes, touched that he’d gone so far to assure my well being. Truly the set was magnificent, and while I’d had lovely sets before, this one easily surpassed them all. “I … I don’t know what to say, Cullen, except … thank you.”

Reaching out, he cupped my face, the chilled leather of his gloves caressing my cheek as he murmured, “Just come back to me.”

That was one promise I was happy to make, sealed with a kiss as Cullen’s new puppy nipped at our ankles, begging for attention.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tiny little bit of angst first, but I promise there is sex!

Embers in the fire sparked to life as Cullen added a couple more logs, stoking the flames and encouraging it to continue. His room was certainly much warmer now that the roof was repaired, and even though most of it was glass, it still helped keep in the heat. The little pup barely even stirred, thoroughly ensconced in a cocoon of blankets - plus an old, ripped shirt of Cullen’s - as he napped near the fireplace. Both of us had thoroughly worn him out playing, and between the activity and the meal I’d nipped down to the kitchens to fetch for him, he was completely tuckered out.

“Did you ever decide on what to name him?” I asked, peeling off my boots and socks, flexing my toes before burying them in the thick carpets that Josephine no doubt had ordered for Cullen’s room.

“Greagoir,” he responded simply as he rose from the hearth, setting aside the iron poker and shedding his fur-collared coat before draping it on a nearby chair. He’d already taken off his gauntlets and breastplate, and he moved to take off his boots as well while I pondered the name. It was someone’s name, of that there was no doubt, but I couldn’t quite recall hearing it before.

“And who is Greagoir?” I finally asked as he shed his socks as well, tossing them in a basket with other laundry.

Pausing a moment, he replied, his voice low and soft, “He was the Knight-Commander of the Circle of Ferelden. And he was a far better man than I.”

I sensed a story behind it, and so I scooted up further onto the bed and crossed my legs, giving him the time and the space to gather his words. He soon joined me on the mattress, putting his weight on one of his arms as he leaned backward with a sigh. He remained silent, pensive, but I stayed quiet, knowing that if I simply waited long enough, he would put it together in his own time.

And he did. “After … what happened in Kinloch … I wasn’t sure I could trust another mage. In my mind, they were all corrupted, abominations waiting to spring. It was wrong, I know that now, but I couldn’t think past my imprisonment. After I was released, I demanded that the Knight-Commander invoke the Right of Annulment.” Shaking his head, he winced, his face tight as he cringed. “Fortunately, Warden Cousland and First Enchanter Irving dissuaded Greagoir that such a severe action was warranted. I, of course, was young and brash and didn’t want to hear reason. Afterward, the Knight-Commander and I argued for hours, but he would not be moved. The patience of that man … I appreciate it now. He knew well that I was blinded by hurt and anger, and he tried his best to get through to me, though I’m afraid that despite his best efforts, I would not listen.” He fell quiet again, the only sounds in the room the sharp crackle of the logs as they were eaten by flames, along with barely perceptible snoring as the pup slept hard and deep. I was about to reach out, to take his hand, to say something, when he began once more. “He sent me to Greenfell to recover. I hated it, I thought I was fine, I protested until he practically pushed me out the door. I took the forced time of recovery as an insult, but he knew better than I.” Sighing heavily, he admitted, “I never saw him again after that. I corresponded with him a few times, briefly, but I never got a chance to express my gratitude for what he did. And I never will.”

“Why not?” I immediately asked, the words leaving my lips before I could quite think about them.

“He was at the Conclave.”

At that, I finally reached out and settled a hand on his. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It is done, I must live with it now, along with all the other regrets.” Shooting me a glance, he smiled gently, “I do not mean to talk of such things on what is supposed to be a merry night.”

I returned the smile. “I asked, you indulged. The fault lies with me, if anything.”

Cullen half-snorted. “No, you were curious, I would never fault you for that. You never faulted me for asking about your family, after all.”

Before, that mention might have set me into a sullen mood for the night. But instead it brought back the memory of the night I spent talking with Dorian and Cullen and how they stood by me and supported me regardless of my personal history. It led to our first kiss, which led to our whole relationship, and so now the reference had a warm feeling coalescing in the middle of my chest.

And like that evening, our lips met again, a soft and tender caress that lit a fire within me. The way he was so controlled, so _in charge_ even in something as ordinary and as intimate as _kissing_ … it took my breath away, still, though we’d been together for months now. Our first time together, it had been a hurried tryst on his desk after we’d returned from Adamant, full of words neither of us would speak, sentiments we let our bodies say instead. In contrast, in this instance, we took our time, melding into each other until I had somehow manoeuvred onto his lap, his arms around me as he held me close. We were completely unrushed, uninhibited, unworried. We had each other in this quiet space as snowflakes gathered on the thick glass overhead, the snowfall outside muffling sound until even the regular patrols around the towers could barely be heard. His doors were locked - both to his office and to his room, having finally allowed Josephine to renovate the space for him - and neither of us had any pressing matters or appointments to tend to. This time, it was for _us_ , and we treated it as such.

“Lie back for me,” he murmured gently, turning and loosening his grip so I could do just that. My fingers grasped the hem of my shirt and I pulled it off before reaching behind me to loosen my breast band, and he followed suite with his own shirt. As he grasped the waist of my trousers, I pulled out the tie that held my hair back, shaking my head to allow the light blond locks to hang loose and free. It had grown while I headed the Inquisition, no longer the short ponytail I sported during my days as the Herald in Haven as I hadn’t taken a long enough break to get it cut. Its length now reached toward the middle of my back, and as I set my head on the pillow, I tucked it to the side. Fanning hair was romantic and all, but when it was long, it tended to get accidentally pulled, which was a none-too-pleasant experience for me. I knew some people enjoyed that, and perhaps under the right circumstances I could, too, but when it was sudden and unexpected, it was not a pleasant sensation _at all_.

Both of our pants and smalls soon joined our shirts and my breast band on the floor, Cullen’s broad frame dwarfing my own, caging me in as he loomed over me. His kiss this time was filled with passion, more urgent, but still not rushed. The passion that had been simmering was now flaring to life as it felt he just might completely consume me from his kiss. Hands wandered, smoothing over planes of hard muscle and scars or curves of flesh that made little hairs stand on end in its wake. His fingers dipped between my legs, feeling along my slit before pressing right into that little bundle of flesh that made me moan into his mouth. I wanted him, wanted him with every fibre of my being, my fingernails digging into his shoulders as an outward expression of that _need_. His moan echoed mine as his tongue plunged into my mouth, the same time as his finger breached me. It wasn’t enough, wasn’t near enough, and my hips canted upwards against his hand, as both an encouragement and a plea for _more_. He slipped another finger inside and that was all I was going to have to be happy with for the moment as it felt like he was slowly dismantling me, taking me apart piece by piece. We’d had the time over the months to acquaint ourselves with each other’s bodies, and he’d certainly taken to learning mine like an eagre student. He was well-versed now, each touch and every caress stoking those flames until they burned white hot.

Then and only then did he finally take pity on me, settling between my legs and hesitating only for the barest second before he slowly pushed himself inside. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he bottomed out, relishing the feeling of him filling me, of him being so close to me. His lips finally left mine and meandered down a trail of their own - across my jaw, skimming my neck - until his teeth nipped at the juncture between my neck and shoulders and I let out a whimper. That combined with the drag from that initial pull out had me reeling already. One of my hands wandered upwards, fingers tangling in his hair, while the other wrapped as far around his shoulders and upper back as I could. He had wide-set shoulders and a thick frame from his time spend training and fighting, but it was all the better as it felt like I was engulfed in his presence.

His hips snapped hard against mine as he picked up the pace, his hands braced just under my hips to hold me in place. I mewled and he growled as his teeth sank into soft flesh and I surrendered to him. Just like our first time, our bodies said things we didn’t voice, communicated in that intimate, ancient dance. _I’m worried. I miss you already. Be careful. Be safe. I love you. I love you, too._

Cullen’s hands left my hips only once, one of them slipping between us to nudge at my pearl, to add that pressure, that sensation that he knew would help edge me up and over the top. I gasped his name, head thrown back into the pillow, toes curling in ecstasy as I was close, so close. My eyes slid open just enough to see him over me, to see that lovely face caught up in passion, those intense eyes boring into me. We were close enough our lips were just barely touching but neither of us moved to seal a kiss, both of us far too entranced in the moment to even think of such a simple action.

And then the tension snapped and my body twisted and unfurled, back arching against the waves of pleasure coursing through my veins. I vaguely felt Cullen’s head drop to my chest, his harsh breathing sweeping over my skin as he chased his own end while I still reveled in mine. His hips stuttered, rhythm breaking as he found completion, hips rocking gently against mine as he rode it out.

Once our breathing had returned to a somewhat normal pace and our souls had fully returned to their bodies, Cullen finally parted from me, bestowing my forehead with a small kiss before he fetched a small towel, quickly wiping himself down before tossing it to me. I caught it with a still-trembling hand and cleaned myself, watching the lovely show as he bent slightly to stoke the flames once more before joining me under the blankets.

Wrapped up in his arms, his lips at my temple, I easily drifted into the fade and into restful sleep. There was much ahead of us still, much the Inquisition had to do, but for the time being we put aside our worries and enjoyed what we had as we never knew how long we might have it.

But one thing was for sure. No matter what, I would always do my best to come back to him. As the Inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste, I aimed to keep my promises, and the ones I made to Cullen Rutherford were some of the most important ones of all.


End file.
